17:

Abel sat in one of the kitchen chairs facing the sliding glass doors when I came out to eat breakfast that morning, and he remained in the chair even after I had showered, gotten dressed, and sat down with Drew while he rested on the couch, wrapping myself in Kathryn's red woven blanket while Drew held me in his arms. It was a silent sunrise, and there was almost no noise coming from outside or inside save for the call of a faraway bird, or the rush of the sea shore as it crashed against the rocks on the horizon.

He was still shirtless, and I couldn't help gazing at Abel's perfect frame against the morning light. He had his feet propped up on the table, his hair parted in such a way that he seemed more mature and rebellious than he had been before. I had never seen Abel look so handsome and grown up, and it gave me hope that we would find Kathryn and everything would return to normal again.

Abel stood up suddenly in his chair, and stated the one word that brought us all to our feet, “Frank.”

We all rushed out the door at once. I was last to make it, but I went ahead of the guys when I saw that they had to stay in the shade by the front of the house, while only Abel and I were allowed in the sunlight. Just as Abel had said, Frank was standing in the light of the driveway a few feet from the front door, carrying a sleeping Kathryn in his arms.

Abel remained civilized, but I could see the hatred in his eyes as he held his hands out and said, “If you return Kathryn to me now, I may consider not allowing Toby to torture you before I end your existence.”

I stepped between Abel and Frank before the matter got out of hand and said, “Wait. Let's sort this out before we all have a fit.”

I started simply, asking, “Frank, why are you here?”

He focused only on me, answering, “I can't stand to see Kathryn hurt anymore. I tried to help her but it wasn't enough, and I just want her to be happy again.”

Before anyone else could respond, I countered, “Well, that sounds like a sweet gesture, Frank, but what you've been doing lately can be considered on the verge of evil, so I'm going to have to ask you why you think we should trust you.”

“I stand by what I did because I don't care about anyone else, but I do care about Kathryn, and that's why I'm betraying Evan. He'll figure out what I've done soon and he'll come here with his army of companions to destroy us all.”

“What makes you think we need your help against Evan?” Casey asked before I could.

Frank glared at him and replied, “I could tell you how Evan's kind walks in the sunlight. Without me, all they have to do is drag you outside and you're all done for.”

Casey took a step forward like he may pound Frank, but I took charge again, taking off the red woven blanket I still had around me as I came up to Kathryn and shook her gently, asking, “Kathryn? Kathryn?”

She opened her eyes, and I started to put the blanket around her. I noticed that a portion of her dress caught against the blanket and lifted up, and I could see some rather defining bruises on her upper thighs, most obviously from Frank. Abel started forward this time, but I turned to him and put my hands up, saying, “Stay!”

Remarkably, he listened, and I turned to face Frank again, saying, “There's no need to explain the bruises, Mr. This-Was-My-First-Time-With-A-Chick-Since-I-Became-A-Vampire-And-I-Got-A-Little-Too-Overzealous, but when Kathryn wakes up, you will apologize to her, and if Casey decides to punch you in the head for your arrogance, you will take it because you deserve it.”

Frank glanced behind me at Casey, and I could imaging the huge grin on Casey's face.

I continued, saying, “Now you're going to take Kathryn inside and then you're going to tell us everything you know. In return, you will be under my watch and I will make sure the guys don't take you down.”

Frank stared at me for a moment, then he nodded to Toby and asked, “What about Toby's torture?”

“I don't know. I'm still considering that part of the agreement,” I answered.

Frank paused a second longer, then he said, “Alright, I agree.”

I motioned for him to come inside and replied, “Fine, you are invited into our home. By the way, it was Evan who wrote and sent that text message about you being Kathryn's bitch.”

Frank's eyes widened, but I didn't give him time to respond. I led him inside, and the others followed slowly after us, their eyes boring into Frank like he was a contagious disease. I pointed at Casey once inside and said, “I want you to bring Kathryn's bed out to the living room. We should all just stay together as a group so that no one is on their own or wandering away.”

Casey did as I instructed, and Hardy and Drew moved the couch and recliners out of the way to make room for Kathryn's bed. I turned to Frank and asked, “Is there something I can make for Kathryn to wake her up?”

“Coffee should do it,” Frank answered, and Drew went to the kitchen, telling me, “I'll do it, Reese.”

I nodded to Drew and replied, “Thank you.”

I led Frank to Kathryn's bed, then he put her down on her blankets and wrapped the red woven blanket over the top of her. Once she was out of his arms, Frank was exposed, and Toby launched at him before I could argue. They both crashed into one of the recliners, shattering it, and I shouted at Casey through the noise, “Stop them!”

He got between the two easily, and shoved Toby to the floor, making him slide across the room until he came to a stop near the kitchen. Casey then pulled Frank up by his shoulders and punched him hard in the head. Frank grabbed his skull and shouted, “Ow!”

“Take that, you deserve it!” I shouted at Frank.

When Toby was on his feet again, he looked like he may start for Frank again, but I argued with him, “If you want to crush Frank, go right ahead, but think about what you're going to tell Kathryn when she finds out that Frank risked everything to bring her back here and you destroyed him anyway. I'm sure she will be very proud of you.”

Toby considered my words and backed off. I was still mad at him, though, so I continued, “Damn it, Toby! You have a very high amount of rage that could be concentrated into an amazing skill, and yet you blow up on the wrong people at the wrong times! And don't get me started on the fact that you keep bringing up how Kathryn and I share everything with each other whenever you're mad! Girl best friends do that, and you will never have that with her because you're a man, so if you want to keep the few privileges you do have, you'll let it go!”

Hardy raised his hand from nearby and asked, “Could I say something?”

I turned to him and said in a huff, “Go ahead.”

He put his hand down and replied, “I know you said not to go anywhere alone, Reese, but I'm so turned on by you right now, I think I need a minute.”

“Dude? What the fuck?” Drew shouted from the kitchen, but Hardy just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and answered, “I'm sorry, your girlfriend is really hot right now.”

“Girlfriend?” Frank asked, glancing from me to Drew.

“Alright, you guys get to planning, I will stay with Kathryn and help to wake her up. I'm going to have everyone come to see her one by one so it isn't a huge shock to her system to see all of you again, then I'll have her see Toby and Abel last.”

The guys agreed, probably because I wouldn't let them argue, and they went to the kitchen table to begin negotiations. Drew handed me the coffee and I had Kathryn drink it until she was beginning to wake up more, then I said hi to her for myself and brought Drew in first.

Kathryn was still not completely aware, and she acted as though we were never gone as the guys came to see her one by one. She asked for Frank a couple of times, and he came to her side to tell her everything was fine. When she saw Casey, Kathryn said to him, “You look different.”

“I've been working out,” Casey joked, and Kathryn laughed slightly.

When Hardy came, she asked him, “What's different about you?”

“Nothing sweetie, just haven't dyed my hair in weeks,” Hardy pointed to his naturally dark spikes.

She smiled and he asked her, “Could I whisper a secret to you?”

Kathryn nodded, and Hardy leaned in closely to her ear. I could tell that he was not just whispering something to her, but he was breathing in the scent of her hair. I wondered if her smell was important somehow.

Hardy leaned away again, and Kathryn laughed slightly, asking, “Did you just tell me that to make me laugh?”

“I do love your smile,” Hardy grinned himself.

Kathryn caught sight of his fangs, and she began to look confused. I quickly tried to distract her again, saying, “I started a new painting.”

“Really?” Kathryn asked, and she was attentive to me while Hardy got up and moved away from the bed.

“Yeah, I was inspired by Toby and I mixed some sand with paint to make it more of a dimensional piece of artwork,” I explained.

“Toby?” Kathryn asked, and he appeared by her bedside instantly.

He sat down beside her and she took his hands in her own. She still had a cast on her left hand from where it was fractured, but she had a good grip on Toby's fingers when he leaned in and kissed her forehead passionately. He pulled away to look deeply into her eyes, and I could see the emotion within Toby threatening to burst through his every being.

“I feel like I haven't seen you in so long,” Kathryn said.

“I just went for a walk,” Toby lied, and when Kathryn smiled in response, bloody tears began forming in Toby's eyes.

I talked to Kathryn a little more about my painting, and I let Toby have a few more minutes with her than the others before it was Abel's turn. Toby walked back to the table with the guys, and Kathryn started to sit up. I helped her until she was seated on her bed next to me, then I pointed at the glass doors of the kitchen and asked, “Did you see the artwork?”

She looked at the doors and saw my paint spots as well as Abel's symbols that he had painted on most of the surface. I explained as passively as if it were any other day, “I did some of the spots to mix paint, but Abel did the symbols. He said it was like when he painted on caves in ancient times.”

“Where is he?” Kathryn asked, as if Abel had just walked out of the room for a few minutes.

“He's here. Do you want to see him?” I asked.

Kathryn nodded, and I motioned for Abel to come forward. He had been standing by Kathryn's bedside the whole time, but at an angle so she never saw him until now. When he came within her view, Kathryn brought her legs over the side of the bed and leaned in to place her hands on Abel's cheeks, drinking him in with her eyes.

The others had stopped negotiations to observe the reunion. Abel's eyes were brimming with bloodied tears, and he gazed upon Kathryn like he had just been reborn. She said to him quietly, “I know you don't sleep, but you look so tired, Moon.”

“I am exhausted, my gorgeous Sun,” Abel replied.

“Come and lye down with me,” Kathryn said, and she moved aside so that he could.

I moved off of the bed and watched as Abel did lay down beside Kathryn, then she pulled off the splint that was helping to protect her fractured hand, and Abel pulled away the gauze wrapping underneath until her hand was exposed to him, then she rested beside him and placed both her hands on Abel's chest, both of them positioned to look each other eyes-to-eyes.

“I have missed you so much, Moon,” Kathryn said.

Abel didn't have time to respond. There was a sudden, thunderous crash, and the sunlit morning was turned into the deepest blackness of night.